My meningitis, Chai and chat after practice

As I mentioned to MM after a good, headbandless kapotasana assist today, the pain in my shoulder is on the move. It started off on one end of the right collarbone, moved to the other end, then into the middle of my trapezius, and has now settled under the shoulderblade.

My premise, straight out of Naive Science Journal, is that all’s well if the pain keeps moving. It means there is some structural rebalancing going on.

That’s not to say it doesn’t hurt like hell sometimes.

Yesterday, when My Gift and I were at Ikea, my neck started getting sore. Sore as in progressively more excruciating as we looked for a lamp, nightstand and bed frame for her new apartment. The pain was right where the neck meets the occipital bone at the back of the skull. As if God was trying to pop my head off like a bottle cap. Then it started spreading down the back of my neck and into my traps, which suddenly felt like they were made of rock. Rock that was on fire. Jesus. Would I make it through Ikea and help her find a can opener before I had to be hospitalized for meningitis?

Yeah. My meningitis ran its course in about an hour. Seriously, I have no idea what that was all about, but it was nasty and I’m glad it’s over. I suspect it has something to do with all this shoulder business in intermediate. And don’t even get me started on the heart opening stuff.

***

Current practice is through to yoga nidrasana, followed by urdhva dhanurasana, assisted dropbacks, and tics. Tics were okay today. Sometimes I rather dread them, primarily because MM insists on a two footed kick up. Me, I like a nice scissor kick. I can actually manage handstands rather well when left to my own scissor-kicking devices. But no, he wants the bunny hop thing.

With scissor kicks, I feel like my legs are driving the bus, and I trust my legs. With bunny hops, my butt is at the wheel, and God knows what it’ll do. Crash, most likely. Look out, Muscle Man!

Despite my reservations, we got through the tics and it wasn’t too bad. I quite like the cracklings that run up my spine as I go over. MM is amused by them, as well. Vata music.

It’s delightful to have some days off where I can loll about in savasana. Afterwards, I chatted for a while with The Poetess. She is teaching in a teacher training program in California, and has been commuting back and forth (via car!) every week. She’s decided to just stay in CA for the last couple of weeks. It was either that or fall asleep at the wheel. I don’t know how she managed for as long as she did. Anyhow, it was lovely to have time to talk after practice — usually I finish up, savasana quickly, then race to the shower so I can get in to the office on time.

Today, though, savasana, chat, then home to make a big mug of chai. Mmmmmmm.

I don’t mind going back to the office next week, but I REALLY don’t want to go back to the hurrying. I wonder if there’s any way to avoid that?

 

4 Comments

  1. oooh! Do not resist the two- footed entry into handstand! When I first dabbled in handstand, I had a teacher that let me cheat (that’s right: CHEAT). I became fairly good at handstanding, but only when I could scissor kick. Then I went to a teacher who was more hardcore. She watched me scissor, catch the handstand and stay. She walked over, pushed me down (!!) and commanded, “Both legs”. But you know, now I’m so very thankful. Your butt is not in control, your abs are (okay, and shoulders), and I know you have some tough abs, lady.

    Plus, that scissor kick business will make you lopsided.
    Straight out of the Naive Science Journal.

  2. Could the pain behind your neck come from your anklebone pressing on that spot in the Eka Padas? That’s what happened to me when I first started doing them. Neck muscles are really delicate and they go quite a bit far down into your back and shoulders.

  3. I second V on this one. I haven’t had pain like you describe, but when I stop doing FBH and then go back to regular FBH, I get it from the base of the skull to the shoulderblades, the next day.

  4. Yup, definitely think it’s FBH-related, though not *directly* so (I don’t feel my ankle bone during the pose). The weight on the traps, though, probably plays a part.

    Sigh. I’m being good and using two feet, Liz. I know it’s for the best… :-)

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